found this thread after googling arakan, as i am a former pupil from '98 - '03
after reading through this thread i can clarify a few points from personal experience..

firstly, my observation is that 'arakan' is a keen "novice" with a great deal to look forward to
secondly, everyone who is questioning the origin is within perfect rational logic to be doing so as there is no real info out there (and even as a student i secretly questioned the true name of the art)

let me bullet point a "few" things (unbiasedly and without any hype) that may give you some inkling
(remember, you can't judge it until you've seen/studied the art)

- firstly, the person's heart/mind/will always truimphs over the lesser (regardless of art)

the blows are mostly directed at the bodies most vulnerable points and are capable of anything from a mild stun - knock out - concusion - coma - death

some of the strikes would be well capable of killing most human in a first blow without any shadow of doubt (if delivered with the intent by a capable exponent)

no arakan student at a novice level would be capable of taking on 15 or more people, though a more advanced student with 'heart' 'mind' and the essential element of 'mungrel' and lack of compassion for the enemy would have a much better chance in making it through than would a boxer or kickboxer (for example) who had the same 'heart' 'mind' and the essential element of 'mungrel' and lack of compassion for the enemy.

this is due to the ferocity and effectiveness of the art and its ability to adapt (like water) to situations

multiple attack scenarios are not as complicated as first you might think (only about 4 people would be capable of getting to you at one time even if there was 15 or so)

... a few more points

there IS sparring (though not like the conventional blow for blow of boxing)
sparring is in various forms
for example: it often trained as more of an attack situation where someone comes in full force with blows kicks grabs or anything at all and you unleash in rapid continued procession until the opponent is neutralised or beaten down (with one or many blows all dependant on how hard you wish to strike back and the situation and amount of opponents at hand)
ie: if you unleashed at 100% then the opponent would be cactus completely, so full speed is used but the power is back off significantly so you dont "destroy" them
(remember the target areas are mostly the body's vulnerable areas)
-eyes, nose, carotid, throat, temple, sternum, solar plexus, ribcage, heart, kidneys, pubic bone, groin, jaw, spine etc...)

i would often come away from sparring and training bloodied, bruised, punch drunk and battered

THERE IS NO WAY YOU COULD SPAR "FULL CONTACT" with the art without seriously destroying someone if not killing them.. (a line HAS to be drawn somewhere)

other times sparring is slowed down to work on lines of attack and flow etc...

principal instructor kyaw is an incredibly capable martial artist (he IS lethal)
he was my personal trainer for several years (no bias, just some home truths here)

have i used arakan in a real street situation before?

Yes, and never initiated any of the situations but was left with little choice
in all 4 cases walked off unscathed with the opponent neutralised within a few seconds (either stunned and rendered useless to continue or knocked out) and there was never any requirement of these situations to get any heavier handed than that to resolve it
it was extremely effective and my attacks came from the subconscious without any pre-mediation of any 'next move' and was a knee jerk reaction that allowed me to walk away unhurt

prior to training arakan i trained different arts (freestyle karate, muay thai, tong long) and have trained in total approx 15 years all up

i no longer train the art as i moved 1000klms south (and there aint no clubs for it down here) :) ... though i still have it in my blood :)

to conclude: it all comes down to the person training the art (regardless of what art you train)

i hope that has cleared up some questions (or at least allowed you to gain a different perspective)

peace all and enjoy whatever you train in !

10/17/2007 9:32am,

fanger123

"- firstly, the person's heart/mind/will always truimphs over the lesser (regardless of art)"

it's obvious someone been watching too much manga/rocky and have never properply sparred.

10/17/2007 9:50am,

nousername

Quote:

Originally Posted by fanger123

"- firstly, the person's heart/mind/will always truimphs over the lesser (regardless of art)"

it's obvious someone been watching too much manga/rocky and have never properply sparred.

ok,

i'm not gonna bother responding from here on or taking your 'bait' though let me clear it up for you

if you check what was written you'd see i'd trained muay thai for years (full contact of course)

if you hit someone full pelt with some of the arakan strikes they'd be finished..
(its not a sport)

you haven't trained the art therefore have no authority to comment effectively on it..

the website doesn't do it much justice admittedly, though if you trained the art you'd know otherwise..

that's all i have to say..

10/17/2007 10:15am,

It is Fake

Quote:

Originally Posted by nousername

ok,

i'm not gonna bother responding from here on or taking your 'bait' though let me clear it up for you

if you check what was written you'd see i'd trained muay thai for years (full contact of course)

if you hit someone full pelt with some of the arakan strikes they'd be finished..
(its not a sport)

you haven't trained the art therefore have no authority to comment effectively on it..

the website doesn't do it much justice admittedly, though if you trained the art you'd know otherwise..

that's all i have to say..

Promise?

Quote:

the blows are mostly directed at the bodies most vulnerable points and are capable of anything from a mild stun - knock out - concusion - coma - death

Yes what weapon will you be using? Gun, Knife, bat, etc. Sad thing is any of these things can happen in so called "sport arts." In other words this is called sensationalism or marketing take your pick.

Quote:

some of the strikes would be well capable of killing most human in a first blow without any shadow of doubt (if delivered with the intent by a capable exponent)

See above explanation.

Quote:

no arakan student at a novice level would be capable of taking on 15 or more people, though a more advanced student with 'heart' 'mind' and the essential element of 'mungrel' and lack of compassion for the enemy would have a much better chance in making it through than would a boxer or kickboxer (for example) who had the same 'heart' 'mind' and the essential element of 'mungrel' and lack of compassion for the enemy.

Proof? Comparative studies? Didn't think so. I don't care how advanced a student you are no art can teach you how to fight 15 people.

Quote:

multiple attack scenarios are not as complicated as first you might think (only about 4 people would be capable of getting to you at one time even if there was 15 or so)

Yeah and I know some people that would beg to differ.

Quote:

there IS sparring (though not like the conventional blow for blow of boxing)
sparring is in various forms
for example: it often trained as more of an attack situation where someone comes in full force with blows kicks grabs or anything at all and you unleash in rapid continued procession until the opponent is neutralised or beaten down (with one or many blows all dependant on how hard you wish to strike back and the situation and amount of opponents at hand)
ie: if you unleashed at 100% then the opponent would be cactus completely, so full speed is used but the power is back off significantly so you dont "destroy" them
(remember the target areas are mostly the body's vulnerable areas)
-eyes, nose, carotid, throat, temple, sternum, solar plexus, ribcage, heart, kidneys, pubic bone, groin, jaw, spine etc...)

Sounds like this horrible "feeding" we've been hearing about lately.

Quote:

Yes, and never initiated any of the situations but was left with little choice
in all 4 cases walked off unscathed with the opponent neutralised within a few seconds (either stunned and rendered useless to continue or knocked out) and there was never any requirement of these situations to get any heavier handed than that to resolve it
it was extremely effective and my attacks came from the subconscious without any pre-mediation of any 'next move' and was a knee jerk reaction that allowed me to walk away unhurt

Of course, you get hurt more in sparring then in real life.

I do find it funny that, after all of these months, you found this thread to add that Arkan does spar.

10/17/2007 11:36am,

fanger123

just... just maybe...

the years of MT are what's making whatever you do effective.

there is no bait dude. you said : "- firstly, the person's heart/mind/will always truimphs over the lesser (regardless of art)"

that's pure BS.

btw, i don't think anybody really cares that you LARP, do "flow drills" and such. but it's the bs claims that tick most ppl off (multi opp scenario, one hit one kill, etc)

10/18/2007 6:32am,

Cdnronin

Welll, there are now two one-time students of Arakan telling us this is the deadlist art this side of a Vulcan death grip, so it must be so. I convinced, and will be selling all my worldly possession(a bic pen and some used chewing gum) in an effort to move to Australia.

10/18/2007 6:39am,

RobT

I want to see video of a death punch!

10/18/2007 10:46pm,

Arakan

ha ha ha, now that is pricless. nousername backed up everything (more or less) that i have said and u still don't believe. ha ha open minded my ass. There u go. This guy has trained in other arts, and BEEN in actual situations. not to mention that he has trained far longer then i and u still continue to doubt.

I am starting to wonder if some of you guys learnt your MA from a book u got from the public library.

I back up EVERY SINGLE thing that Nousername said 100%.

10/18/2007 10:55pm,

It is Fake

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arakan

ha ha ha, now that is pricless. nousername backed up everything (more or less) that i have said and u still don't believe. ha ha open minded my ass. There u go. This guy has trained in other arts, and BEEN in actual situations. not to mention that he has trained far longer then i and u still continue to doubt.

I am starting to wonder if some of you guys learnt your MA from a book u got from the public library.

I back up EVERY SINGLE thing that Nousername said 100%.

A two post wonder who mysteriously posted in this thread. You realize this is nothing new right?

You didn't back anything up.

Do you have videos?
Do you have pictures?
Do you have any books?

Your words are not enough.

10/18/2007 11:28pm,

Arakan

do you want audio too? im really good at making grunting angry fight noises you know. kind of like Grrr!!!

I've already given you the option to send a local bully out.

look dude, i could get 1000 students to come to this forum and tell their own tale and back up everything that i ahve said so far. But the fact of the matter is, you will not except it. i can nearly guarentee that someone from this forum went to train and saw arakan for what it is, they would still be negitive because their sense of self, their identity of being right would be stipped away and the ego cannot handle that.

I have nothing against anyone on the forum and people are dead set entitled to their own opinion. However, i could get all the proof in the world, every video, picture and book proving it right but people will simply be to arrogant to accept that they were wrong.